Rivalry Continues

Women's basketball takes on No. 15/15 Tennessee at Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday at 2 p.m. on SEC Network+

Vanderbilt (14-4, 1-3 SEC) vs. No. 15/15 Tennessee (15-2, 3-2 SEC)
Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025 2 p.m. CT

Memorial Gymnasium • Nashville, Tenn. • SEC Network+Tickets
94.9 The Fan • Vanderbilt Athletics AppLive StatsGame Notes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team returns to Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday as the Commodores welcome in No. 15/15-ranked Tennessee. Tipoff against the Lady Volunteers is set for 2 p.m. and streams live on SEC Network+.

Starting Five
>> Vanderbilt jumps back to action after a five-day break. The Commodores last took the court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this past Monday, where Vandy dropped an 83-77 decision to No. 5/4 LSU to move to 14-4 overall and 1-3 in SEC play. Sophomore Khamil Pierre scored 28 points in the loss to push her double-digit scoring streak to 20 games. Senior Iyana Moore registered a season-best 23 points and drilled five 3-pointers against the Tigers.

>> The Commodores return to Memorial Gym, where they are 10-1 this season. Vanderbilt has won 11 of its last 12 home games dating back to last season. The Dores are 43-18 at home under head coach Shea Ralph.

>> Sophomore Khamil Pierre enters the weekend ranked third all in NCAA Division I in double-doubles with 11 and field goals made with 165. The 6-2 forward ranks in the top 10 nationally in six categories. She is the only NCAA Division I player to rank in the top 10 in points scored (8th: 381) and steals (7th; 55). Pierre is also the only player in the nation to average over 22.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this season.

>> Freshman guard Mikayla Blakes is making a case for national freshman of the year consideration. The 5-8 guard leads all NCAA Division I freshmen in points scored (360) and steals (47). Blakes ranks second among freshmen nationally in scoring (20.0 ppg), field goals made (126), and steals per game (2.61). She was also the first freshman in NCAA Division I to hit the 100-, 200-, and 300-point marks this season.

>> Sunday’s matchup between the Commodores and Lady Volunteers will be the 90th all-time meeting between the schools. Tennessee holds the all-time series lead at 79-10 and has won each of the last eight contests. Vandy is 7-32 all-time at Memorial Gymnasium against Tennessee. The last time the Dores collected a victory over the Lady Vols at home came in a 74-63 win on Jan. 12, 2014.

Game Coverage
Sunday’s contest against Tennessee streams live on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app, with Alex Gould and Drew Maddux calling the action. Fans can listen to Jake Lyman locally on 94.9 The Fan and the Vanderbilt Commodores app outside of Nashville. Fans can also follow along via live stats.

Gameday Information
Click the link here for the latest gameday information on entrance, construction, parking, and ticketing information at Memorial Gymnasium. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.

We Back Pat
Join us in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease as we support the We Back Pat Foundation, honoring legendary Coach Pat Summit. Fans can click here to purchase tickets.

Greene Gets a Medical Waiver
Vanderbilt guard Madison Greene was granted a medical waiver for the 2023-24 season, which will give her an additional year of eligibility. Last season, Greene sustained a season-ending injury on Dec. 17 vs. Lipscomb. She will now be considered a redshirt freshman in terms of athletic eligibility.

Looking for a Ranked Win
Vanderbilt will seek its second win over a ranked opponent in the Shea Ralph era when No. 15/15 Tennessee comes to Memorial Gym. Vanderbilt’s last victory over a ranked foe came on Feb. 24, 2022, when the Dores knocked off No. 15/21 Florida, 63-59, in Nashville.

NET Ranking
Vanderbilt enters Sunday holding a NET ranking of 22. The Commodores came in at No. 7 in the first NET ranking of the 2024-25 season, the highest NET ranking in program history. The NET is an evaluation tool the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses to determine seeding and at-large bids.

Receiving Votes
The Dores earned a vote in this week’s Associate Press Top 25 Poll. It marks the eighth-straight week that Vanderbilt has picked up votes in the AP poll.

Scoring Streaks
A pair of Dores enter Sunday’s contest on a double-digit scoring streak. Sophomore Khamil Pierre has registered 10-plus points in 20-straight games, while senior Iyana Moore has scored double figures in 11-consecutive contests.

Pierre’s streak is the longest for a Commodore since 2006-07 when Carla Thomas registered double-digit points in 29-straight games. Pierre’s 20-straight games with 10 or more points are tied for the fourth-longest double-digit scoring streak by a Dore since 1999-00.

Moore Moving Up
Senior Iyana Moore is moving up rapidly on Vanderbilt’s 1,000-point and all-time 3-pointers made list. The guard comes into Sunday in eighth on Vandy’s all-time 3-point made field goal list with 178. She is one trifecta away from moving past Michelle Palmisano (179; 1995-97) for eighth in school history and 25 3-pointers from moving into seventh place.

Additionally, Moore’s 1,141 career points rank 27th all-time in Commodore women’s basketball history. She is 13 points away from moving into 26th, which is currently occupied by Rachel Bell (1,1154; 2015-18), and 52 points shy from passing Hannah Tuomi (1,192; 2008-11) for 25th on the list.

Blakes Leading The Freshmen
Mikayla Blakes ranks in the top 10 among all freshmen in nine categories. Blakes is the only player to rank in the top five freshmen nationally in points scored (1st; 360), steals (t-1st; 47), and 3-point field goals made (t-5th; 39).

The Somerset, New Jersey, native has won SEC Freshman of the Week three times. Blakes is one of four Power 4 players to win their conference’s weekly freshman award three or more times this season.

Scouting the Lady Volunteers
No. 15/15 Tennessee comes into Sunday at 15-2 and 3-2 in SEC play. The Lady Vols are ranked No. 15 in the Associate Press Top 25 and USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Lady Volunteers are 16 in the most recent NET rankings.

Talaysia Cooper’s 18.2 points per game pace a group of five double-digit scorers for Tennessee. Ruby Whitehorn and Jewel Spear each are averaging 13.4 points per game. Samara Spencer (11.7 ppg) and Zee Spearman (10.9 ppg) round out the group.

The Lady Volunteers are putting up an NCAA-best 95.8 points per game through 17 games this season. Tennessee is shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 33.9 percent on 3-point field goals. The Lady Vols are averaging an NCAA-best 12.0 3-point field goals per game this season. Defensively, teams are putting up 68.7 points per game against Tennessee while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 26.7 percent from behind the arc.

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